Chapter 4: Cheonma (1)

“As expected, the new Storyteller has extraordinary decisiveness! Now then… I’ll have to contact Chunma-nim briefly. Even though he’s the first client we recommended, we can’t just send you to his dimension without any notice.”

Jowa said this as he lightly gestured at the empty air.

Then, a translucent window made of faint light appeared before his eyes.

It looked like a holographic interface from a sci-fi movie.

It’s different from the community window I saw earlier.

He made a quick tapping motion on the window, then started murmuring to himself as if on a call.

Looks like he’s talking on the phone.

“Hmm… Chunma-nim, you’re online right now. It’s about this: the new Storyteller has nominated you as their first storytelling partner. We plan to send them to your dimension soon…”

A moment of silence followed.

Jowa stared intently at a point in the air, as if listening closely.

His brow furrowed slightly.

“What? You’re currently busy? No, no. You can’t say that, Chunma-nim. This is a very important matter.”

I nervously eavesdropped on the conversation.

It seemed that this Chunma Transcendent was quite a difficult person.

“Haha, of course I know you didn’t get along well with Hwagan-nim last time. But this Storyteller will be different. Also… all members of the Akashic Record must meet and listen to Storytellers when requested. You haven’t forgotten that rule, right, Chunma-nim?”

Jowa’s voice remained gentle, but it carried a firm tone beneath.

…A rule, huh.

Sounds like there’s some coercion involved.

Another short silence.

Jowa’s expression seemed to soften, then he nodded.

“Okay, understood. Since you’re away from your place now… shall we send the Storyteller when you arrive later? How long do you think that will take?”

He listened again carefully to the air.

“What? About 10 minutes? Hmm… that’s sooner than I thought.”

Jowa seemed to be pondering something briefly, then broke into a mischievous smile.

“In that case, Chunma-nim, how about our Storyteller goes ahead and explores your dimension while waiting? So it won’t be boring. No? Absolutely not?”

…Absolutely not?

The moment I wondered that—

I was surprised by what he said next.

“Aw, come on~ What’s not to allow? I’ll just send them right now!”

But it sounded like the other side didn’t agree. Sir?

“Now, now, no complaints. I’m hanging up now~! Have a great time, Chunma-nim!”

Jowa made a gesture as if cutting the call unilaterally, then turned to me with a grin.

His eyes showed the playful look of a kid who’d pulled off a fun prank.

“Uh… what was that just now…?”

I asked, flustered.

Jowa shrugged his shoulders and said,

“Haha, Chunma-nim is an extremely busy person. It’s more efficient if you go ahead and wait. Normally, when a Storyteller meets a Transcendent, the Transcendent sets their dimension coordinates to ‘partial public’, so the Storyteller flies there using the community’s [coordinate travel] function. But since this is your first meeting, I’m specially sending you there myself. Consider it a service.”

Setting aside the service part—

Shouldn’t they get consent?

This handsome guy.

I never thought this about him, but he’s pretty ruthless.

If my first impression gets ruined because of you, sir, you’re responsible!

I shouted that inside, but the water was already spilled.

I sighed and asked,

“So… what happens to me now?”

“It’s simple. We’ll send you to Chunma-nim’s dimension right away. He’ll probably arrive in about 10 minutes, so in the meantime, you can look around and plan your first story.”

Jowa clapped his hands together as he spoke.

From beneath his feet, a complex magic circle appeared, glowing softly.

…Are we really going right now?

“Now, then, I bless the first journey of the new Storyteller, Dam-nim! Please… have a wonderful time.”

With those words, my body started to be engulfed by a brilliant light.

It felt as if the whole world was turning white.

And through the dazzling glow, Jowa’s sly voice came faintly.

“Oh, right! I almost forgot! Transcendents are so capricious, you never know where they might jump to, so always keep that in mind~ Especially Chunma-nim! Well then, truly, good luck! Pyoing!”

…What are you trying to say right now?

And what’s with the “pyoing”?

I tried to protest, but by then my body was already swallowed by the torrent of light.

Damn, that guy’s seriously ruthless.

Whoosh—!

**

When I regained consciousness, I was standing on a hard wooden floor.

It was a completely different atmosphere from the mysterious space where I met Jowa.

A heavy, old-fashioned vibe wrapped around me.

“Where… am I?”

Looking around, I saw the inside of a huge, empty pavilion.

The ceiling was dizzyingly high.

The walls were intricately carved with auspicious creatures like dragons and phoenixes, as if they might come alive any second.

The floor was covered with shiny black wood, and massive pillars stood everywhere, majestically supporting the weight of the building.

Wow… no joke.

Is this where the Transcendent Chunma lives?

Glancing over the scenery briefly…

Hmm, strange.

The interior of the pavilion was grand and ornate, but strangely, there was no warmth of human presence.

The only furniture was a long table and a few chairs placed against the wall, and even those were covered with a thin layer of dust.

I slowly looked around inside the pavilion.

It was just vast and empty; the hollow space somehow gave off a bleak feeling.

Then, I noticed something that looked like a bed placed in one corner.

Compared to the massive scale of this pavilion, it was unbelievably small and shabby.

A thin blanket was carelessly folded on it, and there was nothing else.

…They said he was a Transcendent, but he lives more frugally than I thought.

No, it’s not just frugal… it feels like something’s missing.

Like an abandoned house that no one has lived in for a long time, a bleakness devoid of any life permeated the entire space.

The bed caught my eye.

Surely, he doesn’t live here, does he?

I cautiously stepped closer and approached the window.

Outside the window stretched a wide balcony, and beyond it was a dizzying view.

“…Jesus.”

I couldn’t help but exclaim.

Because the building I was in was so tall and large, everything was visible.

The endless cityscape stretched out right before my eyes.

Wooden buildings with tiled roofs were tightly packed, and countless people were coming and going along the streets between them.

It was a dizzying sight, like looking down on a giant anthill.

‘They said it’s the Murim world dimension, and it really looks like something from a movie. All the buildings are made of wood.’

Curious, I moved toward the railing and looked down.

The marketplace far below was bustling with energy.

I could almost hear the cries of merchants selling goods, and people dressed in colorful clothes were laughing and chatting as they strolled through the streets.

I saw women carrying heavy loads, and children running and playing tricks in the alleys.

This was definitely a living, breathing city.

Then, I suddenly looked up…

And my spine chilled.

“What the hell is that?”

Above the city sky floated a huge black disk, like a giant eyeball.

Around it, ominous black energy swirled, covering the entire sky.

It looked like a grim scene forecasting the end of the world.

The black disk writhed as if alive, menacingly looming over the city, ready to swallow it whole at any moment.

But what felt even more surreal was…

The people down below in the city.

They seemed completely indifferent to the horrific sight in the sky, living their daily lives as if nothing was wrong.

As if that scene had always been there.

Beneath that ominous sky, the laughter, chatter, and buying and selling created an indescribably bizarre dissonance.

‘…Does nobody see that? Or have they just gotten used to it?’

Swallowing hard from the creepy feeling, I gulped.

Moreover,

The huge pavilion I was in felt like a completely different world from theirs.

Within a radius of several hundred meters around this pavilion, it was as if time had stopped—dead silent.

The trees that should have been lush were withered and shriveled, turned gray, and not a single weed grew on the ground.

A stark contrast to the lively cityscape in the distance.

It looked like a dead land drained of all color, like a black-and-white photo.

…Why is only this area like this?

Something was eerie.

Mesmerized by the strange yet beautiful scenery, I absentmindedly kept looking around.

Lost in the view, I wondered how much time had passed.

“Are you… the new Storyteller?”

A cold yet clear voice sounded behind me, making me jump and turn around quickly.

“Uh…!”

Before me stood a woman.

Her jet-black long hair was wildly blowing, and her pale skin visible between the strands was almost translucent.

Her facial features need no mention.

She was an extraordinary beauty.

But—

Her black eyes were fathomless and cold.

Inside them, I sensed an indescribable weariness and loneliness.

And… the black martial robe she wore was soaked in dark red liquid.

Drops fell from the hem, forming small puddles on the floor.

…Chunma was a woman?

Ugh.

A sharp, fishy scent hit my nose.

…Is that the smell of blood?

That looks like blood.

I swallowed dryly…

A beautiful woman holding a blood-soaked sword without a care.

…I looked at Chunma.

Her black eyes met mine.